Now that the summer heat has moved in, and while we’re waiting for the late summer monsoon thunderstorm season to begin, I’ve rounded up my favorite photos of wildflowers from the year thus far. We start here with the earliest springtime blooms, those joyous first confirmations that winter is finally over (except for the odd late spring snow storms).
Newberry’s Twinpod – Physaria newberryi, flowers just beginning to open.
Newberry’s Twinpod on the “beach” at Kachina Natural Bridge.
Newberry’s Twinpod is one of the earliest wildflowers here on Cedar Mesa in southeast Utah. In this photo the blossoms are just opening. The earliest green of spring, the first flush of bright yellow blossoms.
Newberry’s Twinpod with seed pods.
Above is the plant with its seed pods, in early summer. Each one has twin “bladders” that are papery dry, and a beautiful violet color at first. Later they turn a light brown and fall to the ground around the stem.
Parry’s Biscuitroot, Lomatium parryi
Parry’s Biscuitroot is another of the earliest wildflowers in canyon country. With its muted yellow flower head clusters, it’s easy to miss. But quite appreciated once you notice it, because spring is finally here even though all the other plant life is still brown and gray, except for the Pinyon pine and Utah juniper trees.
Newberry’s Twinpod (Physaria newberryi), and Carpet Phlox (Phlox hoodii).
Carpet Phlox, though not as common around Natural Bridges, are beautifully showy with their almost moss-like foliage and, of course, showy pure white petals and bright yellow centers.
Fremont’s Mahonia (Mahonia fremontii), Natural Bridges National Monument.
Fremont’s Mahonia is probably the earliest shrub to blossom around here, at 6,500 feet. The blossoms are sweetly aromatic, from a good distance downwind. I like this photo because it also shows something interesting about the foliage. The leaves are blue-green with sharp little tips. They are evergreen, except that on many plants they turn purplish in the winter. Some plants don’t, at least not this past winter.
Common Paintbrush – Castilleja chromosa, White Canyon, Cedar Mesa, Utah.
I wonder how this species feels about being called “common”? Many people know it as Indian Paintbrush, but apparently now its common name (ha!) has changed to one belonging to everybody. No comments about political correctness needed…. I like this photo because I paired it with the new green growth of another forb adjoining the Paintbrush cluster.
Mountain Pepperplant – Lepidium montanum, Natural Bridges.
Mountain Pepperplant wastes no time appearing amongst the otherwise bleak early springtime scene, either.
Colorado Bladderpod – Physaria rectipes, Natural Bridges
Colorado Bladderpod gets onto the springtime scene with its radiating network of long flower stalks capped by its bright yellow four petaled blossoms. These blooms hung around for quite a while this past spring at Natural Bridges.
Pale Evening Primrose – Oenothera pallida, Natural Bridges.
And then there’s the showy Pale Evening Primrose, with its four huge white petals and a yellow center. These blossoms fully open by nightfall, because they are pollinated by nocturnal insects.
Cliffrose – Purshia mexicana, at Natural Bridges.
A little later in the spring, the sweetly aromatic off-white blossoms of Cliffrose (Purshia mexicana) appear profusely on these tall high desert evergreen shrubs.
Claretcup cactus – Echinocereus triglochidiatus, Cedar Mesa.
By far the earliest cactus to blossom in the high desert is the Claretcup cactus, one of the hedgehog cacti. These guys form dense colonies, like cactus urban centers.
Thrifty Goldenweed – Haplopappus armeroides
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